We appreciate the energy and discussion at yesterday’s joint committee hearing on increasing degree attainment among all California higher education institutions. Additional pathways both within and between our institutions will be necessary in achieving these potential goals. Students are in support of removing institutional barriers, opening more class sections, hiring more counselors and advisors to help students through the process. All of which will require additional resources.

Within the CSU, we have seen over the course of the last 60 years, as costs to operate the institution have increased, funding per full-time equivalent student has been both volatile and generally flat. This means that students have taken nearly the complete financial burden of these added costs. Any push to increase graduation rates, and degree output within the CSU, must be met with additional investment from the state, or else students will continue to be held financially responsible for these additional costs.

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Tuition Amounts Inflation-Adjusted to 2017 Dollars

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Data compiled by the Public Policy Institute of California

The principles of the CSU, quality, access, and affordability, must not be made mutually exclusive. As the important conversations regarding increasing quality and access continue, CSSA urges our state leaders not to forget affordability.